SCI: Statistics of Nigerians Living in Poverty Shocking
Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
Save the Children International (SCI) has described the statistics of Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty as shocking for a country richly endowed with human and natural resources.
It would be recalled that the National Bureau of Statistics, in its recent reports revealed that 63 per cent of those living within Nigeria (133 million people) are multidimensional poor.
It added that 1 – 65 per cent of these (86 million people) live in the North, two-thirds (67.5 per cent ) of children (0–17) are multidimensional poor while half (51 per cent ) of all poor people are children.
SCI Country Director, Duncan Harvey, stated this on in Abuja at the close of the third phase of ‘Expanding Social Protection For Inclusive Development (ESPID)’ programme jointly implemented by SCI and Action Against Hunger, across the North-western states of Jigawa, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Kano.
Harvey stressed that over the years, the initiative, first known as the Child Development Grant Programme (CDGP) and later the Expanding Social Protection for Inclusive Development (ESPID) Programme, through this investment the United Kingdom Government provided £4.7 million over three years through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
The country director explained that the programme has evolved over three significant phases, adding that the highly successful first phase, from 2013 to 2019, was a pioneering pilot reaching over 90,000 households.
According to him, “Its goal was to reduce widespread poverty, hunger and child malnutrition in Northern Nigeria through a mixture of cash transfers, counselling and a campaign to change behaviour around maternal and childcare practices.”
Harvey noted that following the CGDP’s demonstrated impact, the second and third phases — from 2019 to 2024, have focused on supporting the federal government and its sub-national counterparts.
This, he said, was aimed at strengthening the existing social protection system at federal level and in the states, to begin to establish systems where these were lacking and to strengthen civil society in calling for improved social protection services.
Harvey emphasised that social protection is an effective means for addressing multidimensional poverty and has proven to be successful in not only pulling people out of poverty but also in protecting them from falling deeper into poverty.
He said: “Nigeria needs social protection very badly. The nation continues to grapple with rising poverty – according to the National Bureau of Statistics, 63 per cent of those living within Nigeria (133 million people) are multi-dimensionally poor.
“These are shocking figures for a country so richly endowed with human and natural resources.”
Harvey said for over a decade, they have remained committed to advancing social protection with a particular focus on children.
His words: “Of course, this journey has not been without challenges. Poverty has worsened in the face of the pandemic, inflation and global shocks.
“Despite evidence of the impact of social protection interventions, financing options remain inadequate, coverage is limited, and intersecting shocks are driving more into poverty and vulnerability.
“At times, we see low political will. Yet, increasingly, there are also promising opportunities: we see the presence of supportive policies and legal frameworks, the growing interest of donors and development partners, and the possibility to design shock-responsive programmes in response to the multiple crises the country faces.”
Harvey commended the federal government as well as Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Zamfara state governments for their continued support and proactive steps in strengthening the social protection system at both the national and state levels.
Also, the Country Director, of Action Against Hunger, Dr. Thierno Diallo, said the ESPID project was founded on the belief that every individual, regardless of their circumstances, deserves access to the resources and support necessary for a dignified life. He noted that over the past few years, they have made significant strides in system strengthening, capacity building, and advocacy for the institutionalisation of social protection.
Diallo added that through targeted interventions, they have worked diligently to enhance the capacity of local institutions, empowering them to better serve their communities.
He said they have engaged with government stakeholders to advocate for policies that prioritize the most vulnerable, ensuring that social protection was not merely an afterthought but a fundamental component of development strategies.
